But shelter'd slept in vain, for at his head
The Tempter watch'd, and foon with ugly dreams
Disturb'd his fleep; and either Tropic now
'Gan thunder, and both ends of Heav'n, the Clouds
From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd
Fierce rain with lightning mixt, water with fire
In ruine reconcil'd: nor flept the winds
Within thir ftony caves, but rush'd abroad
From the four hinges of the world, and fell
On the vext Wilderness, whose tallest Pines,
Though rooted deep as high, and sturdiest Oaks
Bow'd their Stiff necks, loaden with stormy blasts,
Or torn up sheer: ill waft thou shrouded then,
O patient Son of God, yet only stoodst
Unshaken; nor yet staid the terror there,
Infernal Ghosts, and Hellish Furies, round
Environ'd thee, fome howl'd, fome yell'd, fome
fhriek'd,
Some bent at thee thir fiery darts, while thou
Sat'ft unappall'd in calm and finless peace.
Thus pafs'd the night fo foul till morning fair
Came forth with Pilgrim fteps in amice gray;
Who with her radiant finger still'd the roar
Of thunder, chas'd the clouds, and laid the winds,
And grifly Spectres, which the Fiend had rais'd
To tempt the Son of God with terrors dire.
And now the Sun with more effectual beams
Had chear'd the face of Earth, and dry'd the wet
From drooping plant, or dropping tree; the birds
Who all things now behold more fresh and
After a night of ftorm fo ruinous,
Clear'd up their choiceft notes in bush and spray
To gratulate the sweet return of morn;
Nor yet amidst this joy and brightest morn
Was absent, after all his mischief done,
The Prince of darkness, glad would also seem
Of this fair change, and to our Saviour came,
Yet with no new device, they all were spent,
Rather by this his last affront resolv'd,
Desperate of better course, to vent his rage,
And mad defpight to be fo oft repell'd.
Him walking on a Sunny hill he found,
Back'd on the North and West by a thick wood,
Out of the wood he starts in wonted shape;
And in a careless mood thus to him faid.
Fair morning yet betides thee Son of God, After a dismal night; I heard the rack As Earth and Skie would mingle; but my felf Was distant; and these flaws, though mortals fear As dangerous to the pillard frame of Heaven, [them Or to the Earths dark bafis underneath, Are to the main as inconfiderable,
And harmless, if not wholfom, as a sneeze
To mans lefs univerfe, and foon are gone;
Yet as being oft times noxious where they light
On man, beast, plant, waftful and turbulent,
Like turbulencies in the affairs of men,
Over whofe heads they rore, and feem to point,
They oft fore-fignifie and threaten ill :
This Tempest at this Desert most was bent;
Of men at thee, for only thou here dwell'ft.
Did I not tell thee, if thou didst reject
The perfet season offer'd with my aid
To win thy deftin'd feat, but wilt prolong
All to the push of Fate, perfue thy way
Of gaining David's Throne no man knows when,
For both the when and how is no where told,
Thou shalt be what thou art ordain'd, no doubt;
For Angels have proclaim'd it, but concealing
The time and means: each act is rightlieft done,
Not when it must, but when it
may be best.
If thou obferve not this, be sure to find,
What I foretold thee, many a hard affay
Of dangers, and adverfities and pains,
E're thou of Ifrael's Scepter get fast hold;
Whereof this ominous night that clos'd thee round,
So many terrors, voices, prodigies
May warn thee, as a fure fore-going fign.
So talk'd he, while the Son of God went on And ftaid not, but in brief him answer'd thus.
Mee worse then wet thou find'sft not; other harm Those terrors which thou speak'ft of, did me none I never fear'd they could, though noifing loud And threatning nigh; what they can do as figns Betok'ning, or ill boding, I contemn As false portents, not sent from God, but thee; Who knowing I fhall raign past thy preventing, Obtrud'ft thy offer'd aid, that I accepting At least might feem to hold all power of thee, Ambitious fpirit, and wouldst be thought my God, And storm'ft refus'd, thinking to terrifie
Mee to thy will; defift, thou art discern'd
And toil'ft in vain, nor me in vain molest.
To whom the Fiend now fwoln with rage reply'd: Then hear, O Son of David, Virgin-born; For Son of God to me is yet in doubt,
Of the Meffiah I have heard foretold
By all the Prophets; of thy birth at length
Announc't by Gabriel with the first I knew,
And of the Angelic Song in Bethlehem field,
On thy birth-night, that sung thee Saviour born.
From that time seldom have I ceas'd to eye
Thy infancy, thy childhood, and thy youth,
Thy manhood laft, though yet in private bred;
Till at the Ford of Jordan whither all
Flock'd to the Baptift, I among the reft,
Though not to be Baptiz'd, by voice from Heav'n
Heard thee pronounc'd the Son of God belov'd.
Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view
And narrower Scrutiny, that I might learn
In what degree or meaning thou art call'd
The Son of God, which bears no fingle fence;
The Son of God I alfo am, or was,
And if I was, I am; relation stands;
All men are Sons of God; yet thee I thought
In some respect far higher fo declar'd.
Therefore I watch'd thy footsteps from that hour,
And follow'd thee ftill on to this waft wild;
Where by all beft conjectures I collect
Thou art to be my fatal enemy.
Good reason then, if I before-hand seek
To understand my Adverfary, who
And what he is; his wisdom, power, intent,
By parl, or composition, truce, or league
To win him, or win from him what I can.
And opportunity I here have had
To try thee, fift thee, and confefs have found thee Proof against all temptation as a rock
Of Adamant, and as a Center, firm
To the utmost of meer man both wife and good, Not more; for Honours, Riches, Kingdoms, Glory Have been before contemn'd, and may agen: Therefore to know what more thou art then man, Worth naming Son of God by voice from Heav'n, Another method I must now begin.
So faying he caught him up, and without wing Of Hippogrif bore through the Air sublime Over the Wilderness and o're the Plain; Till underneath them fair Jerufalem, The holy City lifted high her Towers, And higher yet the glorious Temple rear'd Her pile, far off appearing like a Mount Of Alabafter, top't with golden Spires: There on the highest Pinacle he set
The Son of God; and added thus in fcorn:
There stand, if thou wilt ftand; to stand upright
Will ask thee skill; I to thy Fathers house
Have brought thee, and highest plac't, highest is best,
Now fhew thy Progeny; if not to stand,
Caft thy felf down; fafely if Son of God:
For it is written, He will give command
Concerning thee to his Angels, in thir hands
They fhall
up lift thee, left at any time
Thou chance to dash thy foot against a stone.
To whom thus Jefus: alfo it is written,
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Tempt not the Lord thy God, he said and stood.
But Satan fmitten with amazement fell
As when Earths Son Antaus (to compare
Small things with greatest) in Irassa strove
With Joves Alcides, and oft foil'd still rofe,
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